Love reading these posts!
I'm a New Mexico GS rider and am planning my first multi country adventure with a couple other women riders, leaving in December :)
We are trying to get some 650gs sponsored by BMW for the trip so we're all riding the same thing.. I might miss my 1200 tho'

love reading these posts!
I'm a new mexico gs rider and am planning my first multi country adventure with a couple other women riders, leaving in december :)
we are trying to get some 650gs sponsored by bmw for the trip so we're all riding the same thing.. I might miss my 1200 tho'

Love reading these posts!
I'm a New Mexico GS rider and am planning my first multi country adventure with a couple other women riders, leaving in December :)
We are trying to get some 650gs sponsored by BMW for the trip so we're all riding the same thing.. I might miss my 1200 tho'

Count me in. I have owned my 1997 BMW R1100GS since, you guessed it, 1997. I haven't been riding much in the past three years because I was an adult with aging parents. Now, I am just an adult, so I am trying to get road ready again. I love my 1100GS, but I still managed to talk myself into putting a down payment on a 2013 R1200GSW. It's arrival is late. I was originally told I would have had it by now, but production was delayed.
If there are any Colorado women out there who want to ride, let me know. If you are further away and want an excuse to ride to the Rockies, let me know.
AND, I am not really a Diva. Just sayin.'

FWIW, I'm in Breckenridge for the but have been off riding since an accident in April resulting in a broken leg. I just got clearance to start riding again and took out the Vespa earlier in the week. Friday I'll be down in Denver picking up the BV 500 (Piaggio 500cc scooter) from service (brakes, belt, coolant leak) but I'm sticking to paved roads now. OK, the occasional graded dirt since that's a lot of what is around me including a short section leaving my driveway but I'm still rebuilding leg strength after my accident.

FWIW, I'm in Breckenridge for the but have been off riding since an accident in April resulting in a broken leg. I just got clearance to start riding again and took out the Vespa earlier in the week. Friday I'll be down in Denver picking up the BV 500 (Piaggio 500cc scooter) from service (brakes, belt, coolant leak) but I'm sticking to paved roads now. OK, the occasional graded dirt since that's a lot of what is around me including a short section leaving my driveway but I'm still rebuilding leg strength after my accident.

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So, as a scooterist, how did you find this site? Do you do long distance travel?
Who services your scooter in Denver? Erico? Sportique?

Count me in. I have owned my 1997 BMW R1100GS since, you guessed it, 1997. I haven't been riding much in the past three years because I was an adult with aging parents. Now, I am just an adult, so I am trying to get road ready again. I love my 1100GS, but I still managed to talk myself into putting a down payment on a 2013 R1200GSW. It's arrival is late. I was originally told I would have had it by now, but production was delayed.
If there are any Colorado women out there who want to ride, let me know. If you are further away and want an excuse to ride to the Rockies, let me know.
AND, I am not really a Diva. Just sayin.'

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Hi Diva, I live in mountains just SW of Denver, myself and my F650GS would love to meet you for a ride! If you're OK hanging with the underpowered, that is! I'm fairly booked up next month and half, free in September?

Erico services ours currently but I haven't been particularly happy with them so I'll probably change next time service is due.

FWIW, this is my ride map of states I've ridden one or more of our scooters in:

The scooter I have in Breckenridge is a Piaggio BV 500 that I've GPS'd at 98mph (crossing Nevada) and still had some throttle left but mpgs suck at that speed. It isn't all that difficult to rack up miles on it. It is what is called a sports tourer in Europe not a city scoot. In 2012 I rode either it or the Aprilia Scarabeo 500from Houston to Washington DC via Natchez Trace, Tail of the Dragon and Blue Ridge in the spring for a conference. I rode from Breckenridge through Rocky Mountain National Forest up to Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis, Walls, over to Lake Geneva for Amerivespa then around the lower part of Lake Michigan, taking the Lake Express Ferry back to Wi. There I went a more northernly route back with Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Cody, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons back. I put approx. 11,000 miles in trips of over 700 miles each on the scoots that year plus another few thousand around town (Houston) or doing day trips like Breck - Georgetown over Guenella Pass around to Evergreen, up Mt. Evans and back to Breck.

Year before Breck through the Utah national parks to San Diego then up the Pacific coast and back through Yosemite and US 6/50 (talk about lonely roads I saw more wild horses than people, cars, trucks and motorcycles combined on those roads crossing Nevada.) Plus a few days in the Twisted Sisters with my brother and a couple of his friends who were riding BMWs and V-Stars. I wasn't the slowest in the twisties either though I'll admit that all of them could have outrun me on the flats but not without getting a serious ticket.

I'm seriously considering entering the scooter cannonball next year depending on when and what route they decide on. http://scootercannonball.com ocean to ocean across the USA with a max displacement of 250cc though unlike many I won't be doing it on a 30+ year old scoot but a 2005 Vespa GTS 250 since I'm not a fan of rebuilding on the side of the road as has happened on more than one occasion with the vintage riders.

Ride reports are on my blog http://cheryldwise.com but I haven't updated it since the DC trip - need to get the trip to Lake Geneva last summer up and the one from California to Houston in March where I rode my son's Sports City back for him since he changed school. Nothing like 1,712 miles on a 250 in 4 days including detours such as Oak Canyon between Sedona & Flagstaff. Hit the rev limiter on it a few times around 88 mph (94 indicated but it isn't exactly accurate and I didn't have a GPS mounted to check actual but it runs about 5-7% high.) Until this week I've been off 2 wheels after an accident at a rally in April but I've been cleared so I'll be riding more after we pick the scoot up from Erico on Friday.

Erico services ours currently but I haven't been particularly happy with them so I'll probably change next time service is due.

FWIW, this is my ride map of states I've ridden one or more of our scooters in:

The scooter I have in Breckenridge is a Piaggio BV 500 that I've GPS'd at 98mph (crossing Nevada) and still had some throttle left but mpgs suck at that speed. It isn't all that difficult to rack up miles on it. It is what is called a sports tourer in Europe not a city scoot. In 2012 I rode either it or the Aprilia Scarabeo 500from Houston to Washington DC via Natchez Trace, Tail of the Dragon and Blue Ridge in the spring for a conference. I rode from Breckenridge through Rocky Mountain National Forest up to Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis, Walls, over to Lake Geneva for Amerivespa then around the lower part of Lake Michigan, taking the Lake Express Ferry back to Wi. There I went a more northernly route back with Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Cody, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons back. I put approx. 11,000 miles in trips of over 700 miles each on the scoots that year plus another few thousand around town (Houston) or doing day trips like Breck - Georgetown over Guenella Pass around to Evergreen, up Mt. Evans and back to Breck.

Year before Breck through the Utah national parks to San Diego then up the Pacific coast and back through Yosemite and US 6/50 (talk about lonely roads I saw more wild horses than people, cars, trucks and motorcycles combined on those roads crossing Nevada.) Plus a few days in the Twisted Sisters with my brother and a couple of his friends who were riding BMWs and V-Stars. I wasn't the slowest in the twisties either though I'll admit that all of them could have outrun me on the flats but not without getting a serious ticket.

I'm seriously considering entering the scooter cannonball next year depending on when and what route they decide on. http://scootercannonball.com ocean to ocean across the USA with a max displacement of 250cc though unlike many I won't be doing it on a 30+ year old scoot but a 2005 Vespa GTS 250 since I'm not a fan of rebuilding on the side of the road as has happened on more than one occasion with the vintage riders.

Ride reports are on my blog http://cheryldwise.com but I haven't updated it since the DC trip - need to get the trip to Lake Geneva last summer up and the one from California to Houston in March where I rode my son's Sports City back for him since he changed school. Nothing like 1,712 miles on a 250 in 4 days including detours such as Oak Canyon between Sedona & Flagstaff. Hit the rev limiter on it a few times around 88 mph (94 indicated but it isn't exactly accurate and I didn't have a GPS mounted to check actual but it runs about 5-7% high.) Until this week I've been off 2 wheels after an accident at a rally in April but I've been cleared so I'll be riding more after we pick the scoot up from Erico on Friday.

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Oh, no, no, no, you misunderstood. I am totally impressed with the miles lots of people rack up on their scoots. I have been close to buying one many times, but I would want a large cc scooter with a little heft to it, like yours. Because, I have back issues, I worry about tire size and suspension although I think the Aprilias have larger tires than Vespas. At least they did when I first looked at them several years ago. I will look at some of your ride reports. I've only recently come back to the forum because I wanted to learn what people have been saying about the new 2013 GS, so I missed the scooter forum.
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend.

Hi Diva, I live in mountains just SW of Denver, myself and my F650GS would love to meet you for a ride! If you're OK hanging with the underpowered, that is! I'm fairly booked up next month and half, free in September?

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September works for me. It's cooler then. I would love to meetup and get away some day in the hills. Let me know when you can do it.

Oh, no, no, no, you misunderstood. I am totally impressed with the miles lots of people rack up on their scoots. I have been close to buying one many times, but I would want a large cc scooter with a little heft to it, like yours. Because, I have back issues, I worry about tire size and suspension although I think the Aprilias have larger tires than Vespas. At least they did when I first looked at them several years ago. I will look at some of your ride reports. I've only recently come back to the forum because I wanted to learn what people have been saying about the new 2013 GS, so I missed the scooter forum.
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend.

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Ah, sorry I misunderstood. In Colorado we have BV 500s. Same engine as the Scarabeo but a slightly different body style. The Scarabeo has better suspension and seat than the BV 500 in my opinion. I use an airhawk on the BV for long trips but not on the Scarabeo. There is a newer model BV 350 that has almost as much horse power as the 500 but a more efficient engine that many people absolutely love. Plus its maintenance intervals are more than 2x longer than the older engine. If I were considering buying a new one I'd give it serious consideration. Last week I had breakfast in Breckenridge with a gentleman from Tennessee who was up here with his BV 350.

Both the Aprilia and the BV have 16" tires on the front and 14" on the rear. Stock on the Vespa GTS is 12" but I know quite a few folks who have switched out the 12" stock tires for the 13" Youban wheels the MP3 uses and have been very pleased with the change.

I've got a hip that occasionally acts up which is one reason I ride a step through frame - aka scooter. For the upright seating position is the most comfortable. We used to have a Suzuki Burgman which is a huge favorite scooter for those who have ridden cruisers but I didn't find it as comfortable as the Italian traditional styled ones we own. Its also a pig at slow speeds and moving around the garage but both the 400 (lighter and easier to move around a garage) and the 650 are ones you may want to look at. The new BMW scooter has also gotten good reviews but its step through is so high I figure I might as well ride a traditional motorcycle. Plus its is having some new bike teething issues so I'd wait a year or two before thinking too seriously about one. The BV 350 doesn't seem to be having as many issues and it was sold in Europe for a year before they brought it here.

Well, nobody's been in here in a while but I figured since I was new I would drop in and say hello! I am completely new to riding and just bought my first bike (2013 XT250). I haven't taken my BRC yet so I have just been practicing on dirt roads and parking lots, but it has still been a blast. My boyfriend has a 2012 Tiger 800XC so eventually I would love to graduate to a more powerful bike (maybe next year) like the BMW F700 or G650GS because we plan on going on many adventures together and I'll need to keep up. But baby steps...I am still a little intimidated by the little 250! I am in Southern NH so the season is almost at an end but I plan on having as much fun as I can until the snow hits.

Well, nobody's been in here in a while but I figured since I was new I would drop in and say hello! I am completely new to riding and just bought my first bike (2013 XT250). I haven't taken my BRC yet so I have just been practicing on dirt roads and parking lots, but it has still been a blast. My boyfriend has a 2012 Tiger 800XC so eventually I would love to graduate to a more powerful bike (maybe next year) like the BMW F700 or G650GS because we plan on going on many adventures together and I'll need to keep up. But baby steps...I am still a little intimidated by the little 250! I am in Southern NH so the season is almost at an end but I plan on having as much fun as I can until the snow hits.

Cheers!

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welcome! that's the perfect way to start

get some good/warm gear and you will find some days you may be able to ride on nice fall or early spring days

get some good/warm gear and you will find some days you may be able to ride on nice fall or early spring days

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I have a pretty warm jacket and gloves and will be getting my pants and boots next week. I won't be riding (don't have my endorsement yet) but the BF and I are planning a fall foliage trip up through the White Mountains and into Maine in the second week of Oct, so even on the back of his bike I will need the warm gear! Hopefully we will do a ride report then, should be beautiful!